Junkland (The Hoarding Book 1)
Page 34
Her staff was gone. She had dismantled the sphere from the staff and had buried it after she used the last bit of her energy to escape the wolves. She had buried it deep into the earth so no one could ever find it. There was no more energy left, and it was just another thing to carry. She needed all of her strength to carry her baby. Her brave baby boy.
Partha was wheezing. The thick air around her made it hard to breathe, and it made her head dizzy. She was fading rapidly. But she had to keep going.
Her baby began to cry.
“Shhh, my darling. Shhh. Mamma’s got you. Everything will be okay. Shhh.” She held him tighter.
HOWWWW. HOW, HOW, HOWOOOOO.
The wolves were still in the distance. They were tracking the trail of blood from her leg. She had tried to clean her wound in the river, but it had been no use.
HOWWWW. HOW, HOW, HOWOOOOO.
The howling grew louder. She quickened her pace as she struggled to keep going.
Her right leg collapsed and she fell hard to the ground. Her baby rolled out of her arms.
“No!” she reached out for her boy.
His crying grew louder.
“I’m coming! Hold on. I’m coming!” she couldn’t tell if she was actually speaking—her mind was a fog. She dug her fingertips into the soil, pulling herself forward as she pushed with her good leg.
She was a hundred yards from the light in the distance. Her vision was blurring. She crawled. The cloth was tearing around her wound. But she didn’t care. None of it mattered. She just needed to get to her boy, to get him to safety.
HOWWWW. HOW, HOW, HOWOOOOO.
Partha crawled faster. Her leg was screaming with pain. Her stomach was torn by a sharp rock, but still she kept moving—she had to. She reached for her baby, grabbing him and pulling him close to her body. She wrapped him in his blue blanket and rocked him back and forth.
“Shhh. It’s okay. Everything will be okay.” She broke down crying. She looked up at the light ahead. It was now fifty yards away. She had no more energy to fight the wolves. She had to make it to the light before they tore the rest of her apart.
It took the rest of her strength to lift herself up. She held her baby in her right arm as her left arm supported her weight on the ground. She kept crawling. She was now twenty-five yards away—so close. She would make it. She had to—for Ren, for their son.
HOWWWW. HOW, HOW, HOWOOOOO.
The wolves would not get to her again. Not while she was still alive. She crawled forward. She kept moving for the sacrifice Ren had made for her and their boy. She would be as brave as him. She would not let Nadia have their son.
Partha crawled to the front door of the house where the candle light was glowing, welcoming her. She reached out a trembling hand towards the wooden door.
Bang, Bang, Bang.
Her hand collapsed. She pushed her baby forward. Partha took one last heartwarming look at her baby boy, smiling at him.
As her world faded around her, she was able to say one final thing. “I love you—my son.”
The door opened and a couple stood at the door, looking down at the baby boy. He was crying and wrapped in a blue blanket. The woman picked him up and cradled him into her chest. The couple then looked around the dark road, searching for the parents, but saw no one.
Note From the Author: If you enjoyed this book and look forward to the rest of Jahrys’s adventure, please write a review on Amazon and Goodreads! Every review matters!
To see what Patrick Johns is up to, follow him on Instagram (@patrickjohnswrites), Facebook (@patrickjohnswrites), and Twitter (@patjohnswrites).
For more information about The Hoarding series, subscribe to his website (http://patrickjohnswrites.com/).
About the Author
Patrick Johns is a wordsmith who grew up in Ramsey, New Jersey, where he would play for hours in his basement with his dinosaurs, and out back in the woods with his imaginary friends in imaginary worlds. He has been writing since he was young—creating worlds and drawing the made-up characters within them, but his imagination was put on hold while in college.
Patrick is a graduate from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!), with a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and a second degree in Mathematics. While he is doing very well, he never forgot his imaginary friends, and always imagined bringing their world to life in a novel.
Upon graduation, Patrick’s wonderful parents took him to see Aladdin on Broadway, one of his favorite childhood stories. And yes, it is his dream to one day sore high into a diamond sky on a magic carpet, singing a beautiful duet with someone he just met and fell madly in love with! After the play, Patrick’s creativity sparked and he started writing again to make this dream come true—as well as his childhood dreams of imaginary worlds.
Junkland is his first novel, now available on Amazon. The second novel in The Hoarding series is underway, with the third soon to follow.
Special Thanks
To Katie Herring: for her time and commitment in editing my novel. Thank you for making my story come to life.
To Nele Diel: for her beautiful job on the cover art, making my world come to life visually.
To Steph Wulz: for her help formatting my cover design.
To Brandon Brown and Jen Dul: my informative beta readers.
To Drew Jenkinson: for his media expertise.
To Jake Kennelly, Jason Kraft, and John Jenkins: for their support and help with my writing and the shaping of my world.
To Granny and MomMom: for being the strongest women I know and to PopPop, for being the best storyteller there is.
To Chris, Matt, and Kevin: for being the best squad a brother could ask for.
To Mom and Dad: for all the dinosaurs and toys you bought me when I was a little tyke. Thanks for allowing me to spend countless hours in the worlds I imagined.
And to all the people who dream, believe, and pursue, thanks for showing me anything is possible.